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Turbo trainer/rollers

D13exile

Ok, said I’d never buy one as they go against what I love most about cycling, ie out in the fresh air and enjoying the scenery, but what with COVID lockdowns and two recent close calls with black ice (didn’t come off the bike but went sideways for a second or two which set the nerves on edge!), I’m looking at buying an indoor trainer to maintain my fitness while the cold weather (it’s the ice that bothers me, not the cold) and COVID distance restrictions put a crimp on my spins.

I’ve been researching online and I’m stumped about what to get. Prices vary from €170 to thousands depending on what is available. Plus I can’t understand how some trainers look like you take off the rear wheel and slot the through axel into a contraption while others appear to use the rear wheel. The latter option evidently wears out the rear tyre quite quickly from what I can understand.

I could be wrong, but indoor cycling will never light my fire. But losing my cycling fitness doesn’t appeal either. So can you give me some advice on a good trainer, will I need a rear wheel with dedicated training tyre, will rollers be a better option etc?

Thanks

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BobbyT28

BobbyT28 wrote: »

I’m pretty sure your gonna be charged customs on that

Got a message that the tacx flux s that I put a deposit in was in store to collect. Is it W good choice before I commit?

I don’t need anything spectacular but don’t want the basic either. After listening to DC Rainmaker and few other reviews I think it’s a decent trainer for the price point.

What you guys and Gals think?

BobbyT28

fat bloke

a_squirrelman wrote: »

Hi all, I'm looking for a cheap and cheerful setup on rollers. I'm looking at the Elite Arion as it's cheap enough, I can get it for about €160 where I am. Does anyone have experience with it?

Rollers is rollers is rollers imo. I've those exact ones. I've never used the Bluetooth thingy. They work great and I've many hours clocked up on them over the last btw years.

a_squirrelman

fat bloke wrote: »

Rollers is rollers is rollers imo. I've those exact ones. I've never used the Bluetooth thingy. They work great and I've many hours clocked up on them over the last btw years.

Thanks fat bloke.

I found mixed reviews so wasn't sure, if they've lasted a few years I'll go for it.

D13exile

The Tacx Galaxia rollers I ordered from Deporvillage turned up yesterday. Going to give them a try tonight. First problem I see is that once the bike is up on the rollers, it’s a lot higher up when trying to mount the bike. At my age, getting the leg over (keep it clean!) the saddle is going to be an issue. I think I’ll need a small step or a chair at least. Wish me luck because all the laughing I did at the guys who posted their first efforts on rollers up on YouTube is surely going to come back and bite me, karma and all that!

BobbyT28

BobbyT28 wrote: »

Got a message that the tacx flux s that I put a deposit in was in store to collect. Is it W good choice before I commit?

I don’t need anything spectacular but don’t want the basic either. After listening to DC Rainmaker and few other reviews I think it’s a decent trainer for the price point.

What you guys and Gals think?

BobbyT28

Feck it I pulled the trigger and went for it. Just collect it.

Have been waiting to get one in Ireland the last few months and finally have it!!

1 month free zwift also to test it out.

MojoMaker

Good man, you'll enjoy it I have no doubt.

BobbyT28

MojoMaker wrote: »

Good man, you'll enjoy it I have no doubt.

Cheers. Thanks to everyone who helped. Now any zwift promo codes for when my free month runs out ðŸ€£

ED E

BobbyT28 wrote: »

I’m pretty sure your gonna be charged customs on that

CRC/Wig are over threshold so should be paying Irish Vat directly. If they are doing that then only Duty + handling fee would be required. Im not up on my HS codes but taking Sports other other then €20+15. Not too bad.

But Fastway....

D13exile

Ok, so I tried out my new Tacx Galaxia rollers for the first time last night. I should say that the biggest mistake I made was watching too many youtube video disasters from people who had tried out rollers for the first time and suffered some pretty nasty falls. This made me very wary, if not a bit scared of trying the rollers. So how did it go????

I started off at my open patio door so I could have some fresh air, a view out into the garden and I had two chairs either side to grab onto. I wore runners so I could get my feet down off the pedals in a hurry if I toppled. So up I get on the saddle holding onto one chair back for support and I started pedalling. No good. I just couldn't bring myself to let go of the chair back as I was leaning over to the side I was holding onto. So after five minutes of that, I moved to a doorframe and tried again. This time I'd no problem letting go of the doorframe and away I went pedalling at a high cadence as advised on youtube. After 5 minutes of uneventful cycling, I switched to my cycling shoes and clipped in for a 20 minute session where I grew in confidence by the minute. I was able to switch hand positions from the tops to the hoods to the drops and even some standing in the pedals without any drama. I was sweating buckets though and constantly wiping sweat out of my eyes. My new cateye quick cycling computer said I was "doing 48kph", which obviously is without any resistance from a road/hill/wind etc and about 13kph faster than I'd normally average out on the road. So after a hard if short 20 minute session, I was pleased with myself for getting the hang of the rollers a lot faster than the youtubers I'd watched (check out Mike Boyd on youtube if you want a laugh though). The floor under the bike was a pool of sweat and I gave the bike a good wipe down after to clean the salty sweat off it. I think I'll invest in a pedastal fan to get some cooling air in my face and maybe a cover for the bars/stem/top tube to protect them from sweat.

Am I confident on the rollers now? Yes but with the caveat of being in a doorframe where I won't have too far to fall/grab hold of something if I lose concentration. And you do need to concentrate on the rollers as I found that if my mind wandered, so too did the bike and I could feel the wheels go to the edge of the parabolic rollers. But I like them as it is very akin to road cycling unlike being on a stationary bike (or possibly a turbo trainer but as I've never tried one, I can't be sure). On the rollers, you need to look out in front of you and keep your balance. I had to engage my core to keep me in a stable position but I was pretty smooth during the session which means my bike fit and pedal stroke appear to be set up right.

As I find it hard to get time out on the road with five kids to look after and lockdown checkpoints pretty much everywhere on my normal routes, I can see myself using the rollers quite a bit to keep my fitness up. Perhaps one day, I'll feel confident enough to put them out on the patio so I'll have some fresh air and a cooling wind, albeit without anything to grab onto if I feel I'm about to topple!

BobbyT28

Bloody forgot that the Flux S doesn’t come with a cassette pre installed.

Any recommendations of a cassette to use?

Thanks in advance
BobbyT28

BobbyT28

BobbyT28 wrote: »

Bloody forgot that the Flux S doesn’t come with a cassette pre installed.

Any recommendations of a cassette to use?

Thanks in advance
BobbyT28

RS7000 11/32t like my bike?

BobbyT28

Sorted. Stagg cycles

PJ_RS1800

Tacx Flow Smart Trainer in stock with bike24.com
There were 10+ available yesterday, down to 3 at the moment if anyone is looking for one....

BobbyT28

Just mounting the bike onto the flux s now. Am I right in doing the following

I just used my own wheel mount from the bike and didn’t need to use the quick release mount provided. I just I’m used a spacer.

See picks attached

Is this ok? Seems very sturdy.

BobbyT28

Never let your 4 year old help get the pieces ready!! She had a spacer on her pocket for the other side!! I was on it and it didn’t sound right, looked down to the right side beside cassette and the cassette was running agains the frame!! ****.

Can see the aluminium frame after it took the paint off it. Anyway, put in the spacer my kiddos had and there is a space between the cassette and the frame.

So glad I stopped!! It was just churning away at it see pic

BobbyT28

Feck it anyway!! Will I need to treat that with something now?!

lissard

It's the deraileur hanger that has been scraped not the frame. Normally this is cheap thing to replace, doesn't look bad to me.

BobbyT28

lissard wrote: »

It's the deraileur hanger that has been scraped not the frame. Normally this is cheap thing to replace, doesn't look bad to me.

Yeah there’s a little circular groove. Nothing major just pissed with myself!! Just about to do my first zwift. I think everything sounds good.

BobbyT28

Does everything else sound and look good from the pics?

MojoMaker

Looks like the sound is off :pac:

BobbyT28

MojoMaker wrote: »

Looks like the sound is off :pac:

BobbyT28

So annoyed at myself for not realising the bloody spacer should have been on it !!!

It’s a new bike aswell!! Did 20km on zwift today and everything seemed ok.

dinneenp

Hi,
So I have a dumb turbo trainer (Tacx Blue Motion) and have the fear of my tire getting badly worn. And I don't want to have to replace the tire every time I'm riding TT or road as that would take me a 'good while' so need to buy a rear wheel, Tacx tire & 11 speed cassette.

Will any 11 speed cassette do or do I have to get a specific one? My bike, Canyon Endurance AL 7.0 has 11-34 cassette)?

I'd like to get a smart TT but, by God, they're expensive, looks like €500+ for a direct drive one. Will upgrade eventually.....

Thanks,
Pa

ED E

Had an old dumb turbo that I never bothered to use, still commuting but done no real riding for a while.

Just ordered the Snap. Meant to dispatch from NL so hopefully minimally brexit impacted.

dinneenp

Hi again,

What's the less in-expensive smart, direct drive TT that people would recommend please?
Thanks,
Pa.

Calahonda52

BobbyT28 wrote: »

So annoyed at myself for not realising the bloody spacer should have been on it !!!

It’s a new bike aswell!! Did 20km on zwift today and everything seemed ok.

I would take having a four year old daughter anyway, she could have a pram full of spacers

ifeelabreeze

Elite Direto arrived, no additional charges!
The cassette, lockring tool and chain whip are missing from the order so that's something

BobbyT28

Slightly off topic but recorded a ride around London today. I recorded it in zwift and also Indoor bike on Garmin watch just to see the difference in cal and I also wanted to bring in my training affect to Garmin!

Fenix 5x plus was just Wrist HR nothing else paired

Activity was 14k avg 202w . Save weight and height in zwift and Garmin

Flux s was Garmin HRM, cadence and power etc.

Big difference in cal burned

Watch using indoor bike activity: 548 calories
Zwift activity recorded with flux s, HRM: 369 calories

Obviously I’m gonna go with the zwift calories burned but surprised how much of a difference in calories there was.

Makes me think if the training affect is accurate?

Any thoughts on this? Wish I could just combine zwift activity with indoor bike ride just to get training affect all in the one activity. If you get me. At them moment I have two entries for the same activity which I was expecting , one from watch and the other from zwift

Thanks
BobbyT

MojoMaker

Optical HR is a waste of space basically.

lissard

Sounds way too complicated, I get all of my Zwift rides automatically uploaded to Garmin Connect in the following way:
- Connect your Garmin Connect to a Strava Profile
- Connect Strava to Zwift

Everything is then shared provided you have a Strava profile.